


I Am Nothing

by IrateHoodlum



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28214601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrateHoodlum/pseuds/IrateHoodlum
Summary: Nihilego was incomplete without a suitable host, but a powerful host was the only thing of interest to it. Fortunately enough for the creature, there was a young professor's assistant so dissatisfied with himself, he would easily give in to the parasite's whims.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

When a Nihilego had escaped from the Ultra Wormhole, people weren’t very quick to notice. It was only one, and seeing how the wormhole had closed behind it, people didn’t typically see it and immediately recognize it as an Ultra Beast. When people would see it, they’d simply assume it was a Pokemon they just had never seen before. Conveniently, this meant it’d have an easier time finding a host.  
The beast wandered the Galar region looking for one it liked, but it seemed as if they tended to be more frail or old. Nihilego noticed that even what looked like the professor was so weak and frail! Was there no one worthy to become its host? Well, it pondered this as it went on its way. 

“Hop!” Sonia cried, “come downstairs!”  
Hop sprinted down the lab stairs, somehow not falling over as he stumbled on several steps. He didn’t know if he was in trouble or what, but even if he wasn’t, he could still feel the dread.  
“Yes?” he asked.  
“My gran told me that near her house, she saw a funny-looking Pokemon,” Sonia began to explain, “she said it had no face, it had lots of tentacles and floated around.”  
Hop couldn’t put his finger on it. A faceless Pokemon with tentacles? Hop had done a good deal of fishing and encountered lots of Water Types, but he didn’t remember one without a face.  
“You mean, in the lake by her house?” he asked, “only Arrokuda and Magikarp seem to inhabit that lake.”  
Sonia shook her head. “It floated in midair! Not in water, it floated by her window and came down this way!”  
Floating Pokemon wasn’t a very far fetched idea. There were weirder Pokemon out there, but he couldn’t recall this Pokemon at all. Hell, there weren’t even legendary Pokemon that fit this description. Hop started to become a little excited, in fact.  
“My guess is that at the pace she described it traveling, it may be closer to the Slumbering Weald by now. I figure since you know that place much better than I do, you can be the one to catch that thing,” Sonia said.  
“Did Magnolia at least take a photo of it or something?” Hop asked, “the description still feels somewhat vague.”  
“No, but she said it had tentacles and a big head covered in a starlike pattern. It also looked like you could see through it somewhat, so she assumed the color was mostly pale white or just clear.”  
Hop wrote that down. He didn’t know what kind of Pokemon this would be, but he was at least intrigued to be doing some real field work. Hop wasn’t given much of substance to do as a professor’s assistant, which left him dissatisfied with his work. He couldn’t prove his strength, so this is what he was stuck with. He couldn’t prove himself on many fronts, it seemed like.  
“I’ll head out, then,” Hop said, “I’ve got lots of Pokeballs on me.”  
“Great,” Sonia chirped, “see you later!”  
Hop invited himself out, not having to walk far to get to the Slumbering Weald. The Weald was where he’d invite himself to think. Yes, he caught Zacian, but couldn’t anyone do that? Yes, he’d fought hard in the Champion Cup, but wasn’t it only by luck that he got there? It seemed as if the Slumbering Weald was where he’d go to doubt himself.  
The wild Pokemon there were quiet and weak, so it honestly seemed like Hop could find this mystery Pokemon pretty easily. He had lots of Great Balls and Ultra Balls on him, just in case things get tricky. However, he actually had no trouble navigating the Weald at all. He didn’t see a thing out of the ordinary. He encountered several Rookidee, Skwovet, the occasional Munna; not a single one like Sonia described.

After Hop had searched for a couple hours, he was contemplating just heading home. Maybe Sonia had just given him a fake task to do while she got work done, a way of keeping things quiet around there so she could just focus better. Self-pity seemed to ooze from Hop’s mind when he wandered deep into this forest. Even with Zacian’s legendary strength, he felt weak and frustrated. Hop himself, what was he worth?  
Hop was hardly a person to the public. His brother was the champion, but who cares? What does that say about Hop? That everybody around him is much stronger, much more capable than he could ever hope to be? Hop sat down in the grass, trying to think. Yeah, Hop didn’t really have much worth outside of being Leon’s younger brother. That’s at least what he thought, anyway.  
Hop’s weakness frustrated him. Even traveling with Victor, someone who’d been training for a much shorter time than Hop had, he was surpassed instantly. Was Hop just that weak? How was everybody around him so much better than he was? Hop had wanted to know more about Pokemon, yes, but more than anything, he wanted strength. He wanted to become better than everybody who ever doubted him and be a hero for Leon the way Leon was for him.  
Hop was almost so lost in thought, he hardly noticed the figure just above him. A blue-white creature with a round head patterned in bright stars. Instead of a face, it seemed like the creature itself was a hat with a veil on the back. It had no face, no expression, it was simply...nothing he could describe. A creature, and one that seemed very interested in Hop.  
“You must be the one Sonia was talking about,” Hop said, “I’d better take you back.”  
Nihilego, the creature, instead stared at Hop. Well, did it? Hop couldn’t be sure, but it was motionless and seemingly fixated on him.  
“I don’t have any Quick Balls, so it looks like we have to battle,” Hop pulled a Pokeball from his pocket and tossed it, “go, Dubwool!”  
Dubwool emerged from its Pokeball, ready to attack. The beast instantly began to move, seemingly giving off a fearful reaction. Hop couldn’t read the thing, he just had to guess based on what was going on and how it moved.  
“Dubwool, use Double-Edge!” Hop commanded.  
Dubwool charged at Nihilego, knocking it back with a powerful tackle. However, it floated right back up as Dubwool staggered from the recoil damage. Nihilego coiled its arms, then spat out a blob of slime, seemingly out of nowhere. Dubwool shook it off decently, ready for another attack.  
“Double Kick, now!”  
Dubwool bounced up on its hind legs, delivering one powerful kick and then another. The beast just shook it off, still pointed more to Hop than to its true opponent. Hop was confused, why was it staring like that? Hop pulled the Pokeball back out of his pocket.  
“Dubwool, return,” he said, returning Dubwool to the ball.  
He approached Nihilego, trying to get a close look at it. It only made a small noise in return, but didn’t seem to mind Hop getting so close.  
“What are you?” he asked.  
The beast couldn’t answer. It didn’t make any noise, actually, which worried Hop a little bit. Did he scare it? Offend it, maybe?  
“I won’t hurt you,” he said, “I want you to come with me back to the professor’s lab.”  
Nihilego shook its head at Hop, refusing to comply. Hop sighed.  
“Well, you’re coming back anyway,” he groaned, “I came here with one job and it’s to catch you.”  
Hop whipped out an Ultra Ball, lobbing it at the beast. The ball didn’t shake once before Nihilego burst out of it, but that seemed to infuriate it. It charged at Hop, screeching and clicking in a way that made his nerves flare up.  
“Hey!” he shrieked, “I didn’t mean to be rude, I just have to bring you back!”  
Nihilego yelled, waving its tentacles around vigorously. Hop didn’t know how to react, whether to send Dubwool back out or to run as fast as he could. Run? No! This is why everyone thinks you’re weak, he thought. He turned back around to face it, ready for a fight. Hop grabbed Dubwool’s ball, but Nihilego slammed into him, making him drop it.  
Then, as Hop ran to retrieve the ball, that was when Nihilego attacked. Its tentacles writhed, wrapping around his limbs in order to keep him still. Hop shrieked, screamed, and protested, but it was no use. He was being consumed, and with each passing second, he was less and less able to fight back.  
Hop was, however, washed over with a feeling of content. It was hollow, but he felt a vague and unusual sense of belonging bonding with the parasite. His body felt heavy, relaxed, and he didn’t waste his energy trying to kick or scream. His mind felt cloudy, possibly to make room for the company he now had. Inside his mind, he could hear someone.

“Hello, Hop,” they said.  
“What are you? What is this?” Hop asked.  
“I am nothing, but now we are one.”


	2. Bond

Hop’s body was levitating in midair, his head to his pelvis being encased within Nihilego’s body. He couldn’t move very much, still getting used to the feeling. What feeling? Mostly numbness in the brain, his legs buzzing with the pins-and-needles feeling, and his head foggy. Hop knew nothing about this Pokemon, he didn’t know what it was doing to him, but he wasn’t sure if he liked or hated it.  
“You’re the strongest host I’ve come across,” Nihilego murmured, “someone I can rely on to bring me to greater heights.”  
“What greater heights?” Hop asked.  
Nihilego thought for a moment, but Hop didn’t need Nihilego to tell him what. It seemed as if Hop’s and the parasite’s minds had bonded completely, and they were doing more than just speaking to one another. Nihilego wasn’t planning to deceive Hop, it’d already caught its prey. However, it needed to be convincing. After all, it didn’t expect Hop to just lie down and take it.  
“I know how you feel, Hop,” Nihilego said, “you aren’t satisfied with your work, are you?”  
“I know what you’re trying to do here,” Hop scoffed, “oldest tactic in the book.”  
“You’re not even willing to hear me out?” it asked.  
“Hear what out, though?” Hop further asked, “I know we can see each others’ thoughts, but you don’t truly know me. You’re just taking advantage of information you shouldn’t have access to.”  
“Now, now, that’s a negative perspective to have on this.”  
“Oh? What could possibly be positive about you having full control over my brain?”  
“Now someone understands you. Your brother didn’t, your rival didn’t, and Sonia doesn’t. I’m the only one who could possibly hope to understand.”  
Hop thought. Nihilego, despite being somewhat malicious, was making a good point. Who better to understand him than someone with access to his mind? Wait, why was he thinking like that?! This was awful! Hop’s head felt vague and light, as if his own thoughts weighed him down less and less, but Nihilego’s ego had begun to eat away at his own.  
“If Leon could see the two of us now,” Nihilego said, “he would be horrified. No one would pity you again.”  
“Leon didn’t pity me!” Hop lied, but mostly to himself than anything.  
“Didn’t he?” Nihilego taunted, “why wouldn’t he? You never measured up to Victor, you struggled constantly to win the simplest of battles. Let’s face it, Hop, you were nothing until I came along; just like I was nothing until you came along.”  
Hop’s head stung, but not nearly as much as his heart did. Nihilego truly was inside of his mind, and it knew everything that Hop felt and feared. As much as he hated it, it was comforting knowing that someone had understood him. Someone powerful.  
Neurotoxins were eating away at Hop’s own ego, making him gradually angrier. He was stuck reveling in his own inferiority, and though he knew it was just what Nihilego wanted, maybe Hop wanted it, too. Who would pity him in such a powerful body?  
“You’re right,” Hop said, “I was nothing.  
“Of course I’m right!” Nihilego cheered, “give in to me, and we can both become something bigger. Relinquish your body.”  
Even if Hop had said no, he didn’t have much of a choice. However, he was cheerful about it, he was going to become better than he ever was. No one would ever doubt or pity him again, and he’d become more powerful than Leon could ever dream. The feelings of physical pain didn’t outweigh Hop’s ambition, and it did help that Nihilego’s neurotoxins had pain killing effects. 

When the fog had cleared in his mind, all he could feel was anger. Anger, malice, and misdirected frustration. Hop didn’t care anymore, though. Why should he be worried what Leon thought of him now? Only weaklings would fear Hop in such a glorious and beautiful state, and the only good weakling was a bleeding one. Hop was part of something wonderful now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter I know but somehow I need to segway to another POV while tying up this loose end, thanks for reading


	3. Report

Leon had a slow day at the Battle Tower that day. He typically got a lot of challengers, but he guessed that the trainers just weren’t feeling it. The champion, Victor, would challenge him most of all. However, not even Victor was in today. Leon didn’t pay much mind until he received a phone call late that night.  
The former champion lived alone, but he didn’t spend too much time at home. Since tournaments were going on all the time when he was a champion and now he’s in charge of the Battle Tower, he was out of the house for most of it. He wasn’t against it, though, he was very outgoing and enthusiastic as a battler. Even after losing his title, he was still his cheerful self.   
Leon dropped his bag with a thud, one Pokeball falling out. On its own, Aegislash emerged from the Pokeball. It let out its triumphant cry, which made Leon smile.  
“Well,” Leon said, “wouldn’t be fair not to let everyone else out.”  
Leon rifled through his bag, pulling out the two other balls in it. He tossed them up, and out came Dragapult and Charizard. They were both tired from battle, but Leon liked to have them out when they needed time to relax. He didn’t imagine that the inside of a Pokeball was especially spacious for certain Pokemon. Dragapult liked to let its Dreepy float about the room as well, one already out of sight. However, there was a suspicious shadow underneath the lamp shade. Leon chuckled and moved his bag to the other side of his flat.   
When he sat down and flicked on the TV, instantly he was greeted with distressing news he didn’t expect.   
“There seems to be a wild and unknown Pokemon wandering about Postwick,” the reporter said, “it’s been described as translucent and faceless with lots of tentacles. It has an appearance similar to a Grapploct or Tentacruel, but pale blue in color and levitates through the air. We haven’t figured out what type it is, but if we get another sighting, we will provide updates.”  
Leon couldn’t quite pin down what Pokemon it could be. He’d never seen one that fit that description, but if it was being reported on, there must be some type of concern.  
“The former professor, Magnolia, submitted this photo of the creature along with her report,” the reporter stated.   
A photo of the thing flashed on screen. It was floating above the lake area around Route 2. The thing looked to be some kind of Water-Type Pokemon, but he wasn’t quite sure. It had no face, in fact, it didn’t seem to have insides either. It looked like some sort of veil with an umbrella-like hat. Something in this appearance bothered Leon a bit, it was very unlike a Pokemon. Magnolia appeared on the scene, taking the mic from the reporter to put in a word.  
“Do not approach it,” she warned, “we don’t know whether or not it’s dangerous or aggressive. However, we have sent professors and trainers to look for it. Once we are able to study it, we will then decide what we should do about it. For now, please be cautious. If you see it, do not let it see you.”  
Magnolia’s words stunned Leon. Wasn’t this a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to have over a simple unidentified Pokemon? When you see a Pokemon you don’t know, wouldn’t you simply battle and catch it? However, maybe something is quite wrong with it. After all, it had such a strange appearance compared to that of any Pokemon he knew.  
“I didn’t observe anything harmful, however, it seems to behave differently from any Pokemon. It mimicked human movements when it saw me in the window, but when it approached a Pokemon, it would shift into mimicking that species. It seems, in a way, obsessed with seeming as normal as possible. This is not something I’ve ever observed in a Pokemon. If it approaches you in such a way, do not interact with it.”  
Leon couldn’t quite pin down what was strange about it, but he also couldn’t name a Pokemon who’d tried to make itself look human. When Zoroark takes human form, it typically still acts somewhat like a Pokemon and doesn’t even try to speak. What was with this thing?  
When the broadcast had ended, Leon was filled with a small bit of dread, but a great deal of excitement. No, he shouldn’t be approaching that Pokemon, but he also wanted to see it for himself.   
His Rotom phone began to ring, which he picked up within a moment’s notice. Sonia was on the other end, so it was no problem for him.  
“Leon!” Sonia began, “have you seen Hop?”  
Leon’s heart sank. That was the last question he wanted to be asked today. Was Hop in trouble?  
“No,” he choked out, “why, what’s wrong?”  
Sonia’s face was full of fear, which Leon noticed quite quickly. His mind wandered to the worst case scenarios relating to Hop, filling him with tension.  
“He left to research an unknown Pokemon,” Sonia explained, “that was last night, he hasn’t come back.”  
Hop’s brother couldn’t move. The whole news report came back to him quickly and violently. Did that thing attack Hop? Did it kill him? No, it couldn’t have. He was hoping that, at least.  
“Where did he go?” Leon asked, “I’ll head over there and help you look.”  
“The Slumbering Weald,” Sonia replied, “hurry, please!”  
Leon shivered. Punching in the number for a Flying Taxi, all he could think about was his brother’s safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a few days away from writing for the holidays, back to this again  
> Thank you all for reading!


	4. The Vault

Hop had moved from the Slumbering Weald since his body was taken by Nihilego. At this point, Hop could no longer feel physical pain and had violently varying levels of emotion. Most of the time, he felt as if he were nothing; he was relaxed, cool, and collected. When Leon crossed his mind, however, he would react incredibly violently. The thought of his older brother filled him with fury he couldn’t describe in words. Even if this was out of character for the boy, honestly, everything about his character began to shift.   
Hop had agreed to tag along with Nihilego, but Hop’s own ego remained alive. Even with the anger and dissatisfaction in his heart, his own morals lingered. He had doubts about his subjugator, but he tried as hard as he could to hide the thoughts from Nihilego. It really was no use, though.  
Nihilego had carried Hop all the way to Hammerlocke. The city had no Pokemon in it, but Nihilego had to be aware of the many Ground-Type Pokemon on the east and west sides of the city. Nihilego could float all it wanted, but it could still take ground damage, which it was four times weak to. It wanted Hop to submit to its will completely, which could help it to achieve its ultimate ends.   
“What are we doing outside the Hammerlocke Vault?” Hop asked.  
“I want to see the historical treasures of this world,” Nihilego said, “I want to understand your culture.”  
“What exactly is your fixation on humans?” Hop continued, “what is it that we have that wild Pokemon lack? I’ve been studying them for so long, they have much more potential than we do.”  
Nihilego gave a nod. “Precisely, you are weak. Humans are not strong, they have no moves or types. However, you understand how to harness the raw power of a Pokemon. You, Hop, are a researcher of Pokemon. More than anybody, you know what I’m capable of. You understand me.”  
Hop felt lots of pride in hearing it say that. He felt that even if the Nihilego just wanted his strength and his body, the beast made attempts to understand him. Did Leon ever do that for him? No. All he ever got from his older brother was maddening pity and shame.  
Nihilego went in with Hop, no one at the front desk like usual. Before Leon became the league chairman, you needed permission to get inside and view the treasures. However, Leon thought that learning of Galar’s history would give the younger trainers heroic goals to strive for. The story of the legendary dogs teaming with the two heroes would serve as a message of how powerful people and Pokemon can be when they team up. Hop, now, had realized just how true this would be. He and his parasite went straight in the door.  
Up the stairs and inside the vault were the tapestries of the famous legend, and somebody else. Inside, standing at around seven feet tall, was the Dragon-Type gym leader, Raihan. He was taking second looks at the tapestries on the wall, seemingly guarding them as a dragon would guard its hoard. When the large wooden doors closed and echoed, he turned to face Hop in his new and improved form. He looked a lot of things, but none more than horrified.   
“Hop?” he asked in shock, “why do you look like that? There’s a Pokemon eating your head!”  
Hop was silent for a moment, preparing to speak in unison with his new friend. The two needed to coordinate in order for this bond to work in the long term. Hop flashed a grin that didn’t suit his once friendly face.  
“I’m better than I ever was before,” Hop croaked, “I can surpass Leon easily in a beautiful form like this.”  
Raihan noticed a second voice as Leon’s brother spoke. It gave him a cold chill up his spine. The words Hop were speaking were so unlike him, but then again, was Hop so obsessed with defeating Leon that he’d willingly go to such lengths? No, he couldn’t have been. Not this much, right?  
“Why would you let this happen?” Raihan asked, “you’re not yourself with that thing on you!”  
“You’re right,” Hop replied, “I’m not myself. I’m better than who I was before. Without Nihilego, I was weak. Now, I’m the strongest trainer in all of Galar!”  
“Well,” Raihan dropped his fear with a look of smugness, “I don’t know about that.” Raihan knew what he was doing, he thought. If he could beat Hop in a battle, maybe he could separate him from Nihilego! Raihan readied Flygon’s ball, knowing that his Flygon could take on anyone.   
“If you’re so bold,” Hop challenged, “I’ll wipe the floor with you!”  
One of Nihilego’s large tentacles took a Pokeball from Hop’s pocket, ready to throw. Raihan released his Flygon, Hop released Zacian. Right off the bat, Hop was sending out his strongest Pokemon; but since Zacian was a Fairy Type, Raihan was in trouble from the get go.   
“Flygon, Sandstorm!” Raihan commanded.   
A Sandstorm raged through the inside of the vault as Flygon beat its wings. However, both Zacian and Hop were unaffected. Zacian was a Steel-Type, yes, but what about the beast holding onto Hop? It had to be a Rock-, Steel-, or Ground-Type. It didn’t look like any of the three, though. Hop smiled and readied his first attack.   
“Zacian, Play Rough!” Hop yelled, pointing out a tentacle.  
Zacian leapt onto the Flygon pummeling it with large paws and teeth. Flygon screeched out in pain, the cry echoing through the vault walls. Raihan cringed, his ears hurting from the volume. Flygon crashed to the ground, not yet prepared before Hop came forward with another attack.   
“Use Behemoth Blade!” he yelled to Zacian.  
Zacian obeyed Hop’s orders without question. As perceptive as Pokemon could be, Zacian was bound to Hop’s Pokeball, and Hop had acquired all eight gym badges. The sword that it held grew in length before it sliced down into Flygon’s flesh. The poor thing was in incredible pain, its cries ringing out until fading into nothing. An unbecoming sight for a hero, there was Zacian’s sword, dripping with the blood of another Pokemon.   
Raihan collapsed to his knees in shock. He’d never seen a Pokemon killed before. He was a trainer, Pokemon fainting happened often. However, Flygon was one of Raihan’s earliest partners. Without a doubt, Raihan’s first partner was dead for good. He began to sob for the friend he’d lost. The Pokemon who he’d had since he was young, since the towering Flygon was a tiny Trapinch, and who’s gotten him through all kinds of gym battles was gone. He looked up at Hop, suspended in the air by the floating parasite.   
Raihan saw red. He wasn’t just stricken with grief, but he was irate. He was fuming, livid, unbearably angry. Not just at the parasite, but at Hop, too. He didn’t care if it was Hop or not, he’d killed Flygon.   
“Why I oughta…” Raihan snarled, “you BASTARD! Look what you’ve done! I could fucking kill you for that!”  
Hop lowered himself down to Raihan’s level, a grin crawling all the way across his face. Nihilego’s translucent hood was stained with the blood of Raihan’s fallen partner. What did Hop care? Hop had outdone Leon’s greatest rival within seconds. What would Leon be to Hop when Raihan was only a puny bug to him? Raihan’s face had never looked so furious, but Nihilego loved it. No, Hop loved it, too.   
“What are you staring at me for?” Raihan growled, “what the fuck do you want now?”  
Nihilego and Hop cackled as one.  
“I want you to get out of my way.”

With a swipe of one clawed tentacle, Raihan had joined Flygon.


	5. Search

Leon and Sonia had met up together that morning, but they didn’t have a great idea of where they should begin looking. The Slumbering Weald is where he was last seen, sure, but was it a good idea to bring someone like Leon into a foggy forest full of twists and turns? Sonia knew it was the smartest choice, but so stupid at the same time. Leon had insisted on it, but Sonia just told him that obviously, Hop would’ve moved on somewhere else to look for his research subject and wouldn’t still be there.   
“Has Magnolia given you any idea where it could be?” Leon asked, “the report I saw came from her, maybe she’s seen it again.”  
Sonia shook her head, “the initial report is all we got on that thing. I’m not sure Hop even found it to begin with, though.”  
“What if it attacked him, though?” Leon pressed, “Magnolia warned us not to approach because we don’t know how violent it is. Could Hop have learned the hard way?”  
Sonia gave him a distraught look. She didn’t like seeing her friend in so much stress; in fact, she hasn’t since the Champion’s Cup from when he was young. However, Hop was Leon’s younger brother, it makes sense for him to be worried. Truly, it’d be more upsetting if he wasn’t worried.   
“So you think if we follow the beast, it will lead us to Hop?” Sonia clarified.  
“Yes,” Leon answered, “it seems most likely.”  
Sonia nodded. “Do you think it may have left the Slumbering Weald, though?”   
Leon thought for a moment, then looked at the floor. He had no idea where to start. He had the idea Hop would be with the beast, but if they weren’t checking the Slumbering Weald, where would they check? Cutting off Leon’s train of thought, however, was the sound of his phone ringing.   
“Hello?” Leon answered, his Rotom phone hovering in front of him.  
“Leon!” Piers cried, “get over to Hammerlocke! Raihan’s been hurt badly!”

Sonia and Leon arrived there together. Their search was important, but they needed to check on Raihan and maybe get him to a hospital. Piers was waiting for them outside the vault, clearly looking panicked. The look on his face was telltale, it had to be bad. Piers opened the door to the vault, then took them further in to the deepest chamber. When the doors to it opened, a truly gruesome sight greeted the two.  
First was Flygon, sprawled out on the stone floor with a deep stab wound in its belly. Cold and dry blood had hardened in its wound and stuck to its body, a little bit on the floor around it. Behind it was Raihan, even more bloody and mangled than his Pokemon partner. His mouth was agape and his eyes were wide and rolled back. Huge scratch marks ran across his body, the deepest one in his neck. No one in the room could fathom how this could’ve happened.  
“I just came in and found him like this!” Piers said, horrified, “the place was empty, no one helped him!”  
Leon was about to throw up. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, he hated what he was seeing. Not only could he lose Hop, but Raihan was surely gone for good. Sonia was frozen, panic scrawled all over her face. Piers didn’t know what to do besides call those two, and now that he has, what then?  
“What could’ve done this?” Sonia asked, “a Pokemon? Why would it attack him so violently?”  
“Why would I know?” Piers asked, “you’re not supposed to bring your Pokemon in here!”  
“The beast had to have done this.” Leon said, “but how come we haven’t seen Hop yet? If it kills people, it would’ve killed him.”  
“Are we really assuming that so quickly?” Sonia asked.  
“What else could it have been?” Leon insisted, “it has to be close!”  
“What’s all this about a beast?” Piers asked.  
“We’ll tell you when we find it,” Sonia replied.  
“Well if it’s killing people, you’ll need extra help,” Piers told her, “but what about Raihan?”  
“I’ll call his family and see what they’ll do, we need to see if Hop is okay!” Leon hastily answered.  
Piers was taken aback by this. Sure, he and Hop were brothers, but this was more pressing, right? He shrugged. He guessed it could mean they’d stop it from killing more people, barring the idea of Hop. Sonia pulled out her phone and checked her town map for a moment. When she was done, she showed Leon and pointed at a location.  
“If it left here recently, naturally it must be on Route 6,” she said, “we’d better hurry before it gets to Stow-on-Side.”  
Leon nodded, then took Piers hand and pulled him with them out the door. They sprinted out of the vault and across the bridge to Route 6. Of course, being a route full of trainers, there had to be wild Pokemon all over the place. How would they find the beast in an environment full of other Pokemon?   
“We should get to the highest point here,” Piers suggested, “this place is full of ladders.”  
Piers grabbed the ladder going up a cliff, then began to climb. Sonia tagged along after, followed by Leon. The route wasn’t too big, it just seemed that way due to all of the cliffs. They could even see the Diglett sculptures in the back. That wasn’t all they could see however.  
Off near the arch in front of Stow-on-Side was a strange and dark figure. It had a large head with a black tint, the whole thing shining like glass and covered in small and colorful crystals. It had lots of arms, each arm had several fingers on it and they stretched out like tentacles. Under the arms, though, was a pair of human legs suspended in midair. They couldn’t make it out, but there was something underneath the massive head, though.  
“We should get closer,” Leon said, “that could be our beast.”  
“It looks nothing like what Magnolia described,” Sonia replied, “are you sure?”  
“Have you seen anything like it?” Leon asked, “this has to be it.”  
Leon hopped from the cliff and ran up to get a closer look. The two lagged behind him, making no real attempt to match his breakneck speed. Leon ducked behind a cliff and inspected the thing.  
The arms each seemed to have an eyeball on the backs and palms, making him wary of being spotted. He could see now, though, that inside the head of the creature was a human body. He couldn’t make out the face or features of what was inside, so he looked to the pair of legs for some sort of answer. With the dark pants and grey and purple sneakers, he wasn’t given any clear details right off the bat. However, he recognized the sneakers as a pair Hop owned, so he acknowledged the horrific possibility. He only could for a moment before being spotted, though.   
“Leon,” the beast groaned in a familiar voice, “what are you doing here?”  
There was no doubt in his mind anymore. The beast was carrying Hop. He didn’t know how, but somehow it was speaking through him as well. There was a chance Hop could be saved, and he needed to.


End file.
